100 Poems about Life Struggles to Inspire You

We are plagued on a daily basis by economic challenges, major diseases, family troubles, and political upheaval.

Yet, how a person approaches each difficulty reveals a lot about their character and who they are on the inside.

Some people find strength and inspiration in the stories of others.

With the poems about life struggles, many notable poets from the past and present have aided and motivated people to face and conquer life’s numerous problems.

Here are some struggle poems about hard times in life.

Famous Poems about Life Struggles

Here are some famous poems about life struggles. These poems depict numerous facets of life and provide us with excellent information about dealing with life struggles.

1. Time

By Joe Massocco

Tick tock…tick tock…
Life is counting down on your internal clock.

Memories that feel as if they occurred yesterday
turn to flashes of moments that seem to fade away.

People you once knew
walk by without a clue.

The times you once shared
exist as if you were never there.

Years fly…friends die…
and you never know when you’ll say your last goodbye.

Oh, how I wish I could turn back time,
spend it with loved ones and cherish what once was mine.

Or to go back even more,
being a kid in a candy store.

How I miss the way I used to feel
on Christmas day when Santa was real.

But back to reality…back to today,
family is scarce and memories continue to fade away.

Tick tock…tick tock…
How I wish I could control this clock.

2. Rise

By Sagar Yadav

I Will Rise
A poem about refusing to be discouraged and refusing to be put down.
I will rise
After every fall.
I will rise
And stand tall.

I will rise
Over the wall.
I will rise
Above them all.

Like the sun,
Which never dies.
Though sets every night,
Every day it does rise.

Like the ocean
Whose tides
Many times they are down,
But invariably they rise.

Like the trees,
From seeds they arise,
And heights great
They rise and rise.

After falling once,
Twice and thrice,
Again and again
I will rise and rise.

I will rise
After every fall.
After every fall
I will rise.

3. I, Too

By Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

4. Fractured

By Jodi M. Kucera

You look at me and only see the cracks,
Fractured, like a piece of glass.

Some are shallow and straight,
Created by silently carrying so much weight.

Others are round and splayed like stars,
Words, a solar system of scars.

Some are deep and cut to my core,
From trials I thought I could no longer endure.

Some hold tightly to splintering shards that still cut,
A painful reminder every time they are touched.

Others are jagged and worn,
And some are occupied with scorn.

Some of them are lessons,
Regretfully brought on by my own transgressions.

All of them create an intricate mosaic of intertwined lines,
Reminders of the things I’ve survived.

A prismatic display of beauty and strength;
Though I am fractured, I did not break.

5. Sometimes

By Lucy Petersen

Sometimes I can’t find the words
That fill my messy head.
Can’t find the effort to smile
Or get out of my silly old bed.

The world just sometimes feels like
I don’t fit and don’t belong,
And even when I make the effort,
A smile just doesn’t last long.

I could pretend with all my might
That I am the happiest I can be.
Surrounded by the world, it seems
Lonelier I couldn’t be.

Not sure what may be the answer.
Not sure if I’m really keen
To spend another day here,
Living this dreadful dream.

But I must find some courage,
Light a fire inside my heart
And find a love for life again,
And I know where I shall start.

I’ll walk among the forest
And feel the crisp sea breeze
And lay among the meadow
And listen to all the bees.

I’ll figure out the mayhem
And gaze at all the stars
And dance at every sunset
With a smile inside my heart.

6. Mirror, Mirror

By Ellie B. Ross

When you walk past a mirror and feel the need to cry…
Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,
Why aren’t I thin, pretty, or tall?
Why don’t you show the perfect me?
The one that everyone pretends to be.
Mirror, Mirror, standing there,
Why can’t you just stop and stare?
Why do you point out all my flaws?
Making me feel the lowest of lows
Every time I hear you speak.
Slowly inside it’s killing me.
Why do we have these arrogant mirrors
That only believe in the public figures?
The models we see on TV,
Oh please, dear God, make that me.
Mirror, Mirror, can’t you see
What you show is killing me?
Every day and every night there’s no escape.
A mirror in sight.

7. Find Your Drive

By Emma J. Swain

Sometimes you just have to push yourself just to get out of bed.
You stay up ’til 2am just wishing you were dead.
You ask yourself, “Why can’t it be someone else instead?”
You get tired of all the thoughts in your head.

You lose sight of who you want to be.
You blame yourself, screaming, “Why am I me?”
You wish you could just be free.
Open your eyes and you’ll see

That life is what you make it, and sometimes it’s hard.
We get battered and bruised, mistreated and scared.

We forget what’s important.
We forget our drive.
We all need a focus point,
A reason to survive.

Find your passion.
Find your drive.
Find something that makes you fight,
And you will survive.

8. My Life Has Been A Tightrope

By Patricia A Fleming

I feel as if I’m teetering
High above a dark, black hole,
And it’s taking everything I have
Not to lose control.

My feet keep slipping off the tightrope.
My arms start flailing in mid-air.
I’m sweating ‘neath the scorching sun,
Blinded by its savage glare.

I’ve been swaying on this tightrope now
For more than half my life.
But it seems to go on into infinity
With no terminus in sight.

One shaky foot in front of the other,
My aging body sore and stiff.
I’ve considered acquiescence.
Perhaps it’s time for me to quit.

I’m so focused on survival
And never looking down
That I’ve lost sight of all the beauty
That is everywhere around.

The mountains towering over me
With white blankets on their peaks.
The green and sparkling river
Flowing swift and aimlessly.

The flawless azure cloudless sky.
Those dark moments when she weeps.
Her stars that shine so bright at night
To safely guide my weary feet.

Eagles soaring to their nests.
The distant valleys deep and green.
All of nature’s busy creatures
Who roam this earth so free.

Those people who keep watch for me
To catch me if I lose my balance.
Who have staggered on their own tightropes
So are well acquainted with the challenge.

They keep vigil from a distance
And have done their best to understand
That I need to make this trek alone
To become everything I am.

The days and nights are passing now.
My body’s weak, but my will is strong.
I stop and rest more frequently,
But I recover and move on.

I’ve been meandering this tightrope now
For more than half my life,
Surviving good and bad days too,
But never giving up the fight.

And those who really love me
Who have never lost their faith,
Have helped convince me through it all
This was a journey I could make.

So to all of you who are like me,
Walking that fine and tottering line,
Just put one foot before the other,
And you’ll master it in time.

9. Tired

By Judy Einhorn

I’m tired of listening to the sound of my tears,
Tired of constantly battling my fears,
Tired of struggling with challenges that continuously reappear.

I’m tired of wasting my days submersed in despair,
Tired of words piercing my heart like sharp spears,
Tired of living a life that is one big blear.

I’m tired of pretending while deep inside I care,
Tired of being stuck in toxic relationships and atmospheres,
Tired of hypocrisy and lies in a world full of fakes and veneers.

I’m tired of trying to believe,
Tired of putting up a show,
Tired of battling defeat,

Just tired of feeling this way,
Can I be spared?

10. Camouflaged

By Kim Mccrea

In all chaotic beauty lies a wounded work of art.
Beautiful but torn, wreaking havoc on my heart.
Camouflaged by insecurities, blinded by it all.
I love the way you sit there and barely notice me at all.

11. Choices

By Desiree Kimbrue

I see people laughing and joking all around,
but on my face there is no smile; instead there is a frown.

I never laugh anymore; instead I cry,
and I never stop to ask myself, “Why?”

I heard we live and die by the choices we make,
and there’s only so much a person can take.

So just remember life goes on,
and it hurts when someone leaves and is gone.

So always remember, keep your head up,
because another door is opened every time one is shut.

12. Inner Peace

By Joshua Fraser

The wind whistles past my ears.
Closing my eyes, I lose all my fears.
The waves crash into the rocks.
Out here there is no time on my clock.

The serenity I feel here just soothes my mind.
A peaceful day so hard to find.
The breeze just calms my soul.
Helps me think about what is my life’s goal.

I then look out over the ocean,
And it feels like my life has lost its commotion.
The sun sets down over the clouds.
But the orange glow around makes me proud.

As the night draws near.
I feel like where I need to be is here.
The soothing nature this afternoon brings
Just feels like such a beautiful thing.

I sit and wonder where life will go,
But right now all I want is for time to slow.
To enjoy this moment and feel free,
To clear my mind and find some glee.

It’s days like these I truly treasure.
Amazing nights and beautiful weather.
It may not seem like much.
But it’s moments like these I want to clutch.

For once I feel like life is bliss.
So many hard days in which my happiness was missed.
I could get lost listening to the waves.
Listening to the birds and watching how the clouds behave.

I could close my eyes and fade into the night.
The tranquility I feel helps me win the fight.
As the waves keep crashing into the rocks,
I feel the happiness in my heart become unlocked.

The day is drawing to a close.
The peacefulness I feel right now I’ll only know.
Right now my mind is finally clear.
It’s time to go as the night draws near.

13. Carefree

By Nordica D Lindgren

Young, carefree, innocent,
You sing, laugh and dance,
Taking in all Gods’ glory
At every single chance.

Grown up,
You ignore the wonders
That you cherished as a child.
Gone is the carefree, honesty and mild.

You walk around with blinders on,
Into the race of money and greed.
Not caring who gets hurt
Just to fulfill your selfish needs.

Stepping over the line of morals
To have wealth and material things.
Ignoring all God’s gifts
Like the first rain in Spring.

Keep that little child inside!
Hold her close to your heart.
We’re only here for a brief time,
Then with this world we must part.

For a moment each day it’s OK to get silly,
To laugh and dance.
Take in all God’s glory
At every single chance.

14. Still Here

By Langston Hughes

I been scarred and battered.
My hopes the wind done scattered.
Snow has friz me,
Sun has baked me,

Looks like between ’em they done
Tried to make me

Stop laughin’, stop lovin’, stop livin’–
But I don’t care!
I’m still here!

15. I Am Trying

By Shawna

I know there’s something great in me,
Something I struggle to find.
The days and months keep passing
As I lie here, stuck in my own mind.

Always looking for ways to improve myself,
But I struggle to take that first step.
I often wonder if this is it for me
Or if I’m stuck in my regret.

I try to hide my insecurities
Because the worry is just too much,
But they wind up shooting out of me
with every passing touch.

So today I write this poem,
to see what you might say.
Any words of wisdom
Could help my soul someway.

Short Poems about Life Struggles

Poetry, being one of the most potent forms of expression, offers guidance, recommendations, bravery, and motivation to continue forward in life. Now let’s go through some short struggle poems about life.

1. The Hourly Cross

by Ruby Archer

Oh, sorrow of restraining
An impulse grown alert,
Of bearing uncomplaining
The daily want and hurt!

2. You Could Have Given Up

By S.C. Lourie

You could have given up,
but you kept on going.
You could have seen obstacles,
but you called them adventures.
You could have called them weeds,
but instead you called them wildflowers.
You could have died a caterpillar,
but you fought on to be a butterfly.
You could have denied yourself goodness,
but instead you chose to show
yourself self-love. You could have defined
yourself by the dark days, but instead
through them you realised your light.

3. The Strength in You

By Blake Auden

There is
a strength in you
you haven’t even
begun to find.

And that’s often
how life works.

You won’t know
how strong you are
until the world
forces you
to look.

4. Through It All

By Destinee Snuffer

Friends come and go
Life flies by right before your eyes.
You lose ones you love
Yet through it all you still love your life.

People leave you to fight alone.
You put on a fake smile to hide all your pain,
Yet someone still knows you’re hurt.

Through it all you still put on a front to satisfy those around you.
Thorough it all you wouldn’t change a thing.
Through it all you wouldn’t trade your life for fame.

You build a wall to try to keep from getting hurt.
You lock up you heart and throw away the key to see who cares enough to look for it.
Through it all there’s not many people that got you to open up yet still you love it all.

Struggles meet you in the face to watch you slip up.
Yet through it all you wouldn’t change a thing.

Through it all you wouldn’t change a thing.
Through it all you wouldn’t trade your life for fame.

5. Shadow of Life

By Shelby Denham

Walking in the shadow of fear,
drowning endlessly by a single tear,
running alongside self-discovery,
fearing the loss of self-recovery,
parts of mind going unknown,
dangerous sides going unshown.
One day you will eventually die,
so today make everything right.

6. The Strings

By Hanima Nawaz

The knot is strong,
The strings are tight.
It won’t break loose,
No matter how much I fight.

The grip is fierce,
Disguised in every tear.
I wish to overcome
This emptiness of fear.

I know once on my own,
I might not survive.
But there is a mere chance
For me to be alive.

The cost of losing the bond
Could be my biggest mistake.
But I am done living
A life I can no longer fake.

Long Poems about Life Struggles

Here are some long poems about life and struggles. We hope these poems give you hope as you confront life’s challenges.

1. Before the Reaper Comes

By Mitchell Browder

before the bullet it bit
before the candle is lit
before the last call
before the curtain falls
before the grave we pray
there is something I must say

before taps is played
before the jazz parade
before 21 guns sound
before the final round
before the fiddler we pay
this I must convey

before the sweet by and by
before the tears we cry
before the bells are rung
before the reaper come
before angles wing
I have to tell you
everything….everything…everything

2. Falling Into A Black Hole

By Abigail E. Durden

Slipping, spiraling
Falling down and down
My breath is suppressed
My heartbeat ripped away
By the vibrant color that will define my day
The silence is like pins
From my nose to my toes
The blistering cold comes from within
I marvel at the beauty
I grovel at the power
That taunts me every waking hour
I feel a great pressure on my lungs
Like weights pulling me down
The battle that can never be won
It’s all in my head
Or maybe it’s not
Falling into a black hole is easier than I thought

3. Lost Innocence

By Michaela Remmel

Wind whistling,
Snow glistening,
We try not to,
But we’re all listening.

Loud screams,
Bad dreams,
It’s very far,
But close it seems.

Sad day,
Lost our way,
All we can do
Is simply pray.

Innocence gone,
Life no longer long.
We may not know,
But we’re all doing wrong.

Joy lost,
The Holocaust.
We look to see
Hearts covered in frost.

Wars fought,
Sins taught,
Making mistakes,
Hoping not to be caught.

Not taking blame,
Pushing for fame.
As advanced as we are,
We’re still all untamed.

Too much pride,
Needing a guide.
We will deny it,
But behind lies we hide.

Hurting others,
Betraying brothers.
Many forgetting
To appreciate mothers.

Lies are fed,
Filling heart and head.
Through all of these years,
Innocent blood has been shed.

Children abandoned,
Lonely and stranded.
We’re all wasting the life
That we have been handed.

Taking from the poor,
We’re loving no more.
Fight to be free,
End up starting a war.

People starting fights,
No longer enjoying the sights,
While mere mortals are taking
Our God given rights.

Soldiers killed,
Void can’t be filled,
Pay close attention,
For pure souls have been tilled.

Need to find peace,
Work together like geese,
But greatest of all,
The hate needs to cease.

4. Stronger

By J. Iron Word

She never let life
or the weight that
came along with it
weigh her down, it
only made her stronger.

5. The Mask

By Charlene Valladares

I look in the mirror at the beginning of each day,
and ask myself what mask should I place on my face today.

No not the sad one it’s too revealing,
I don’t want to show the world my true feelings.

For the mask that you can see
camouflages the true me.

It’s my public face that I remove each night,
when I bare my soul the mirrors light.

It’s the one meant for only my eyes to see
it speaks of all my history.

It tells of my youth and girlish ways,
my adolescents and my young woman’s dreams.

It tells of good times of which I had my share
of love lost and pain so hard to bear.

So I choose my mask so carefully,
to cover the face that was given to me,
the one that was meant for only my eyes to see.

6. The Music of The Night

By Graham Craven

When demons pick at my troubled mind
And the passage to sleep becomes harder to find,
I close my eyes, turn out the light
And listen to the music of the night.

First there’s the silence, looming and menacing,
The audience lies waiting, patiently listening.
My heart is racing; it’s pounding and deafening.
The taste of tension is sour and sickening.

Outside the wind blows a sweet, sad refrain
That plays on repeat again and again.
It builds to a crescendo, stormy and wild
Until it blows over and breathes like a child.

The rhythm of the night train’s clickety-clack,
‘The Moonlight Sonata’ for insomniacs.
It’s a song of love and another heart broken
When so much is said without a single word spoken.

A dripping tap becomes a cacophony,
The percussion in my moonlight symphony.
Every drip…drip…drop performed in the overture
Is a well-rehearsed line in my sleepless torture.

The hymns of miners lost in the gloom
Are sang by angels as they circle my room.
Voices that flicker like light from a flame
Are swallowed by the coal-black from which they came.

Birdsong at dawn, a heavenly choir,
Brings me to rest and my eyes start to tire.
While sunlight chases my demons away,
I fall asleep gently to the sounds of the Day.

7. Unsure

By Shawna

So many of us lost in life,
no idea where to go.
Do we follow our heart’s desire?
Do we stay, or should we go?

So many of us lost in life,
not sure where we belong.
Do we work through the struggle,
or should we move along?

So many of us lost in life,
no clue if we will ever change.
Failed attempts are mostly why,
then there are those who crave the pain.

So many of us lost in life,
just trying to get by,
wishing, hoping, wondering, waiting
for the time that we can fly.

8. Tell Me

By Ayleashua Marchewitz

Why don’t people understand me?
Why do things always happen this way?
Why does my heart choose to stay closed?
Why can’t you hear my pain?
This is all I ask.
Hear me again.
Hear my cries at night.
Help me face my fears tonight,
so tell me
why can’t I find you again?
Why can’t you be here when I need you?
No one understands
who I am,
where I’ve been,
where I’m going.
Why do things always happen this way,
but I now understand.
No one gets me,
what I need,
what I want.
People, can’t you see
I’m a girl in need.
Hear my plea…

9. Trouble

By Tanya M. DeVeer

Troubled times are here, as we knew they would come
Not because of the situation, just because life in general is not always fun
But we can overcome them, together we must
Because the love that we have shared was surely built with trust
Times are daring in any family it seems
Rocking the boat to fulfill our dreams
We can build the obstacles but must remember to knock them down
For if we don’t there will surely be trouble by leaps and bounds
I think along the way somehow we forgot to knock down
The obstacles that are tearing at our hearts and apparent trouble that abounds
Let’s take the time to clear the obstacles and go back to loving each other
We’re here to listen to your choices, let’s stop hurting one another
Right or wrong it’s always God’s call
We must remember, it is us who will ultimately take the fall
So in my heart I do not think it is worth it just to be right
Life is too short not to say we love you and we won’t give up without a fight

10. Purpose

By Anxhelo Llangozi

Don’t be nervous when finding your purpose.
To simply be alive is just scratching the surface.

As life goes on, you will find out the truth.
Blissful ignorance is only for the youth.

As you get older, you start to wonder
Why am I here? Was it just a blunder?

Whatever your purpose, it is for you to choose,
Because wasting your time wondering is of no use.

Deep Poems about Life Struggles

These deep struggle poems about life reveal the deeper meanings and complexities of life, its challenges, joys, and delight. If you fall, they will give you the strength to get back up and move on.

1. A New Beginning

By S.C. Lourie

Sometimes I wonder
why life feels
so uphill most of the time.
but maybe
the mountains are rooting for us.
maybe they want us to see sights
we would never get to see without them.
because in that moment,
when life takes your breath away
for all her beauty, you are reborn.
and I don’t think there is anything
more perfect
in this world than a new beginning.

2. I’m My Own Best Friend

By Zorian Alexis

I’m good enough;
I don’t care what you say.
I’m proud of what
I accomplished today.

Maybe I didn’t win
Or even place,
But I tried really hard
And finished the race.

I set a personal best,
Which makes me feel good.
I did much better
Than I thought I could.

Why do you criticize
And try to make me feel small?
Does it make you feel better
When I stumble and fall?

Well, I’m here to tell you
That I won’t let your words hurt.
Because when I fall,
I’ll just pick myself up from the dirt.

And I’ll keep on fighting
Until the end,
With a cheerleader in my corner,
Because I’m my own best friend.

So unless you have something
Positive to say,
I suggest you keep your mouth shut
And just go away.

Because my best friend and I
Are about to celebrate;
And we can do without you
Or your small-minded hate.

3. To Live And To Love

By Elizabeth McCrorie

We were put on this planet
To live and to love.
To cherish the ones in our lives
And never let them get hurt.
Safety is a priority,
But danger is an outcome.
Why is it that we work so very hard
For something that will still happen
In the end?
Should we care about our lives
Or sit and waste it away?
“It doesn’t matter, we’re all going to
die someday!”
These words fill our heads
With sad confusion. There’s no end.
We get lost with the love
We want to have.
There is no conclusion to all
This pain.
But an answer that comes
Just the same.
The negative side seems to win,
But the positive side seems to
Glow.
We are who we choose to be,
So be careful who you choose.
Love everyday like there is no
Tomorrow,
And give to others the joy of life
So no one will hurt.
Love, and love will love you back.
Open your arms to life,
And life will hug you back!
Don’t be scared!
Life is still a one time thing!

4. Lights

By Soumyanetra Pal

Light up the way for me.
I’m scared of the dark.
Illuminate the blackest road
With the brightest spark.

Light up my mind
When I’m feeling low.
Help me keep the dark thoughts away,
And make my mind glow.

Light up my world
With your beautiful, carefree smile.
Keep away everything that’s evil,
Everything that’s scary and vile.

Light up my candle
When I’m out to wander and roam,
So no matter how far I am,
I may always return home.

5. Short Life Summary

By Hgr

Life and death; without one there cannot be the other.
For some, it’s short, but they live it like no other.
For most, it’s long, and to be happy they don’t ever bother.
Life cannot be lived without the love of others.

The second we are born is the second we begin to die.
As a child, we live life and don’t worry why.
As we grow, it gets tougher and we don’t want to try.
Like everything else, it will end and we’ll have to say goodbye.

Whether it’s twenty years or one hundred-twenty,
Live it with a purpose to be greater than many.
Most likely life will be long;
So live it with the future in mind
Because if you act in the moment life is never kind.

6. On Adversity

By Joydip Dutt

Adversity brings out the best in you
It often helps to find something new –

A hidden talent or clears a doubt
Or you understand what life’s about

Adversity nourishes you to become strong
It helps to reach where you truly belong

Adversity makes you tough and wise
It shows where your strength lies

Adversity is nothing but a stepping stone
To a path that seems rugged and unknown

But if you let courage be your guide,
And can take things on your stride,

Don’t get dejected and continue to fight.
In the end, you’ll see hope and light.

7. My Life

By Taylor Beckham

All of my life
I was living in a lie.
It seems that my childhood
has flown right by.
My daddy walked out,
and I had nowhere to cry.
I had to stay strong
so my spirit wouldn’t die.
Now I’ve grown up too fast
trying to make this life last.
I push to move forward,
but I’m stuck in my past.
Tell me, what’s a girl to do?
Forget about it through and through?
That’s not something I can do.
What’s done is done,
Ain’t that the truth?

8. C’est La Vie

By Miroz

What I feel
If only I knew how’s it going to be
If only when I try to fix things, they became better
If only I was certain of how others feel
And if only people believed what I say…

If I knew how to show what I really felt
If I knew how to make people understand
If I knew how to make them believe
If I knew how to make them happy

If making people happy doesn’t leave me sad
If making them understand doesn’t make me ignorant
If making them believe doesn’t make me a liar
And if letting them know how I feel doesn’t leave me numb

Things would’ve never reached that point
I know I would be in a much happier place
No one would ever blame me for not caring
No one would blame me for not thinking

That’s life ….You’re never certain
You never know, you’re never sure
You’re not going to live that dream of yours
And life would never be “trouble free”

You have to live with what you have
You try to fix the broken glass
You try to collect the shattered pieces
You make the best of every day

It’s like a train that never stops
Keep going through life without pausing
Just live each day and throw it behind you
Don’t look back or you’ll break your neck!

9. I Hope You Find Peace

By Lorelei

I hope you find peace in your battles
I hope you find light within the darkness
I hope you find comfort in your storm
I hope you find your smile within the tears
I hope your heart beats lighter
when it starts to feel heavy
I hope you find the kind of love that stays
I hope you find someone who welcomes your broken pieces home.

10. Crazy Days

By Tashajade

crazy days are loud and great
funny, happy
a memorable treat

crazy days you never forget
filled with laughter
not regret

crazy days are the best
warm and loving
and totally blessed

crazy days are fun and exciting
scary and wild
thunder and lightning

these crazy days you never forget
as these are special memories
locked in our heart

Inspirational Poems about Life Struggles

These inspirational poems about life and struggles contain a deeper comprehension and significant insight into life, and the poets have beautifully expressed their experiences and life lessons for us humans.

1. Shine

By Anonymous

Life is something we all share,
Just like oxygen in the air.
The way we live it, is up to us,
With a negative or with a plus.

Life is something we should cherish,
We never know when we’ll perish.
Live each and every single day,
Smell the flowers, stop and play.

Life is something we’ve been blessed,
Choice is yours; choose your quest.
Follow your passions, and you’ll be fine,
With the right attitude, you will shine.

2. Perseverance

By Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe, golden ears,
Unless we have first been sowers,
And watered the flowers with tears.

It is not just as we take it,
This wonderful world of ours
Life’s field will yield as we make it
A harvest of thorns or of flowers.

3. Unity

By Susan Coolidge

If I were told that I must die to-morrow,
That the next sun
Which sinks should bear one past all fear and sorrow
For anyone,
All the fight fought, all the short journey through:
What should I do?
I do not think that I should shrink or falter,
But just go on,
Doing my work, nor change, nor seek to alter
Aught that is gone;
But rise and move and love and smile and pray
For one more day.

4. Struggles Come Your Way

By Catherine Pulsifer

Just because struggles come your way
Doesn’t mean it can ruin your day
The good and the bad are a way of life
Don’t get down; move beyond the strife.

We must live life, taking things in stride
Helping each other, stoping any divide
Life is better when we support and love
And that is what’s expected from above.

You see, we were given choices to make
We are not robots; we are not fake
So if you’re faced with a trial or two
Don’t give up; let others help you through.

5. A Life Built

By William Arthur Ward

A life built on the sands of celebrity
Can be wrecked by the rains of reverses.

A life built on the sands of materialism
Can be destroyed by the floods of adversity.

A life built on the sands of pleasure
Can be blown down by the winds of disillusionment.

Only the life that is built on the rock of character
Can withstand the tempests of time.

6. Paint Your Life

By Anonymous

Life is like a piece of art,
It requires lots of heart.
Choose your paint and your brush,
Take your time, avoid the rush.

Before you paint, choose your theme,
Don’t be afraid to follow your dream.
It’s alright to make a mistake.
Your painting is real; it’s not fake.

Look at your painting, don’t be crying,
Begin again; keep on trying.
Your painting is never fully complete,
Enjoy the process; make sure it’s sweet.

7. When Does Life Begin

By Catherine Pulsifer

Does life begin when you obtain more things?
Or does life begin when you make big earnings?
Does life begin when tomorrow dawns
Or does tomorrow just make you yawn?

The only life we have to live
Is today the day we have to give
Don’t wait for a certain thing
For happiness to bring.

Live each day and live it full
Don’t waste it and be a fool
Begin each day and be thankful for
All that the day has in store!

8. Time Is Swift

By Anonymous

Pluck the rose while blooming;
Now ’tis fresh and bright;
Wait not till to-morrow;
Time is swift in flight.

Do thy deeds of kindness.
Ere to-morrow’s light;
What may come, we know not;
Time is swift in flight.

Would’st thou makes life useful.
Work before ’tis night;
Else thou’llt be regretting.
Time is swift in flight.

9. Bumpy Ride

By Anonymous

Life has many ups and downs,
Loving smiles and also frowns.
Good events and some are bad,
Happy emotions, others mad.
It can be a bumpy ride,
How you handle it, you decide!

10. The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves, no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

11. Life

By Sarojini Naidu

CHILDREN, ye have not lived, to you, it seems
Life is a lovely stalactite of dreams,
Or carnival of careless joys that leap
About your hearts like billows on the deep
In flames of amber and of amethyst.

Children, ye have not lived, ye but exist
Till some resistless hour shall rise and move
Your hearts to wake and hunger after love,
And thirst with passionate longing for the things
That burns your brows with blood-red sufferings.

Till ye have battled with great grief and fears,
And borne the conflict of dream-shattering years,
Wounded with fierce desire and worn with strife,
Children, ye have not lived: for this is life.

12. Later Life

By Christina Rossetti

Something this foggy day, a something which
Is neither of this fog nor of today,
Has set me dreaming of the winds that play
Past certain cliffs, along one certain beach,
And turn the topmost edge of waves to spray:

Ah, pleasant pebbly strand so far away,
So out of reach while quite within my reach,
As out of reach as India or Cathay!
I am sick of where I am and where I am not,
I am sick of foresight and of memory,
I am sick of all I have and all I see,
I am sick of self, and there is nothing new;

Oh, weary impatient patience of my lot!
Thus with myself: how fares it, Friends, with you?

13. Life

By Sir Walter Raleigh

What is our life? A play of passion,
Our mirth the music of division,
Our mother’s wombs the tiring-houses be,
Where we are dressed for this short comedy.
Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is,
That sits and marks still who doth act amiss.

Our graves that hide us from the setting sun
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done.
Thus march we, playing, to our latest rest,
Only we die in earnest; that’s no jest.

14. My Inner Life

By Robert William Service

‘Tis true my garments threadbare are,
And sorry poor I seem;
But only I am richer far
Than any poet’s dream.
For I’ve a hidden life no one
Can ever hope to see;
A sacred sanctuary none
May share with me.

Aloof I stand from out the strife,
Within my heart a song;
By virtue of my inner life
I to myself belong.
Against man-ruling, I rebel,
Yet do not fear defeat,
For to my secret citadel
I may retreat.

Oh, you who have an inner life
Beyond this dismal day
With wars and evil rumors rife,
Go blessedly your way.
Your refuge hold inviolate;
Unto yourself be true,
And shield serene from sordid fate
The Real You.

15. The Happiest Age

By Wilhelmina Stitch

What age is happiest? Had you asked me,
I would have made this plea: the Now is best.
What joy to live with zest each newborn day;
and from the Moment, wrest what Life will give away.
The Past is but a guest who came and went
and left this one behest: to be content.

Think how To-day is blest!
We’ve eyes to see Nature in Beauty drest for you, for me.
What matters that the crest of Youth is past.
Youth lives within the breast with joys that last.
The will to do our best, and hands for giving.
Oh! Now’s the happiest, best time for living!

What age is happiest?
Oh! hear my vow, for I have put the test—the happiest’s Now.
Sweet sighs and kindly jest for warmth and cheer; and
Love’s most high bequest to crown the year.

Funny Poems about Life Struggles

Never feel alone in your troubles since we all go through them. How you manage obstacles will be determined by your attitude towards them. Put a smiling face while facing them. Here are some to cheer you up.

1. Kid Stuff

By Brian A. Bendall

Many, many years ago
When I was just a kid,
And I had just began to grow,
There’s stuff I had and did.

I’m thinking back on all those things
That life saw fit to give me.
If I can’t remember everything,
I hope you will forgive me.

Chocolate candy cigarettes
And big bubble gum cigars.
Mini Bricks and Red Ball Jets,
Hopscotch and Dinky cars.

Mercurochrome and iodine;
Band-aids in a can.
Your watch required a daily wind,
And Etch-A-Sketch was grand.

In school, the teacher had to see
Just what you had to do.
You held one finger up for pee;
You held up two for poo!

Marbles, Slinkys, Lincoln Logs,
Ker Plunk and Pick Up Sticks,
With Yo-yos, you could “walk the dog,”
And ice cream came in bricks.

Arrows all had suction cups
And guns had rolls of caps.
Paddle Balls and Tonka Trucks
Big red lips were wax,

Bumps on heads, being black and blue,
Was minor when compared to
Being sick with cold or flu!
Have fun? You’re not prepared to!

Measles, mumps, and chicken pox
Always seemed to flare.
They opened up Pandora’s Box
And caught us unaware!

With medicine and care from mom,
Our time in bed was cut!
But I can’t remember anyone
Allergic to a nut!

Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys
And also Brothers Grimm.
But Mark Twain was my pride and joy!
I never could resist him!

Hide and seek and tag were there.
New energy we found!
No more teacher scorns to bear
When summer came around.

PF Flyer running shoes,
Steel roller skates had keys.
There were phone booths we could use
If there’s emergencies.

Rolling down a grassy hill
In parks was a delight.
Nicky Nine Doors was a thrill,
But only played at night!

We rode our bikes with playing cards
Flapping on our spokes.
We played in all our friends’ backyards
And told our “Knock Knock” jokes.

Climbing fences, climbing trees
Were common things to do.
Getting bruised or skinning knees?
That was nothing new!

Two wheel scooters, kiddy cars,
We had Soap Box Rallies.
Baseball teams and monkey bars
And close by bowling alleys.

In winter, there were snowball fights
And snow forts for protection.
And when a bitter wind would bite,
Few kids raised objection!

Speeding down a snowy slope
On sleds and blown up tires.
“Is it too steep?” We all said, “Nope!”
We wanted to go higher!

In our teens were Levi jeans,
Duck and pony tails.
Sock hops were a common scene
Where dancing would prevail.

Bobby socks and poodle skirts
And continental slacks.
White buck shoes and fancy shirts,
Guitars and wailing sax!

Computers? What on Earth were they?!
Well, they would show up later.
And none I knew could dare display
Cell phones or calculators!

Many things I’ve mentioned here
Are still with us today.
But lots of kids, it does appear,
Ignore this great buffet!

What happened to the world I knew?
Have kids today stopped growing?
If time machines were really true,
I know where I’d be going!

Dick, Jane, Spot and Puff
Are nothing now but jokes.
But maybe I have said enough,
So I’ll say, “That’s all folks!”

2. Television

By Roald Dahl

The most important thing we’ve learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, Never, Never let
Them near your television set —
Or better still, just don’t install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we’ve been,
We’ve watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone’s place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they’re hypnotised by it,
Until they’re absolutely drunk
With all that shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don’t climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink —
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
It Rost The Sense in The Head!
It Kills Imagination Dad!
It Clogs and Clutters Up The Mind!
It Makes A Child So DullL and Blind
He Can No Longer Understand
A Fantasy, A Fairyland!
His Brain Becomes As Soft As Cheese!
His Powers of Thinking Rust and Freeze!
He Cannot Think — He Only Sees!
‘All right!’ you’ll cry. ‘All right!’ you’ll say,
‘But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!’
We’ll answer this by asking you,
‘What used the darling ones to do?
‘How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?’
Have you forgotten? Don’t you know?
We’ll say it very loud and slow:
They … Used … To … Read! They’d Read and Read,
And Read and Read, and then proceed
To Read some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic tales
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching ’round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it’s Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and-
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There’s Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole-
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks-
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They’ll now begin to feel the need
Of having something to read.
And once they start — oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They’ll grow so keen
They’ll wonder what they’d ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.

3. I’m Not Really 60

By Ms M J Hill

That’s not my age; it’s just not true.
My heart is young; the time just flew.
I’m staring at this strange old face,
And someone else is in my place!

My body’s not in disrepair.
I’ve not much grey in my brown hair.
I sometimes feel a little tired
But go for jogs when I’m inspired.

This old age thing is not for me.
Concessions given, prescriptions free.
I’ll just pretend I’m in my prime.
To age too fast would be a crime.

I’m just not 60 in my head.
It’s still so long till I am dead,
So please don’t see me in that way.
I’m staying young, if that’s OK!

4. The People Upstairs

By Ogden Nash

The people upstairs all practise ballet
Their living room is a bowling alley
Their bedroom is full of conducted tours.
Their radio is louder than yours,
They celebrate week-ends all the week.
When they take a shower, your ceilings leak.
They try to get their parties to mix
By supplying their guests with Pogo sticks,
And when their fun at last abates,
They go to the bathroom on roller skates.
I might love the people upstairs more
If only they lived on another floor.

5. Working From Home

By Phil J. Johnson

The grass needs cutting,
I must mend the gate.
I’m expecting a parcel,
I hope it’s not late.
I must get a wash on.
There’s the ironing too.
The gas bill needs paying.
There’s so much to do.
I must send that email.
I can’t really moan,
This is the life,
When you’re working from home.

I’m due a long lie in
I must feed the cat.
There’s the dishes to do,
I’ll get round to that.
I’ll de-frost the freezer
If I’ve got time,
But I’m watching the cricket.
Sky Sports is just fine!
I’ll look at that spreadsheet,
Use my mobile phone,
So everyone knows
That I’m working from home.

6. Grandma’s on The Dancefloor

By Graham Craven

Grandma’s on the dancefloor
Shaking what she’s got.
If it don’t shake, it wobbles,
And boy, does it wobble a lot.

The old moves don’t come easy
Even though she’s got new hips.
She swings them almost freely now,
And you can barely hear them click.

Grandad’s in the corner,
Sipping on his beer.
Will he shake his booty?
My Grandad – No fear!

Grandma means the world to him,
And he’s her Mr. Right.
He’s the one who’ll walk her home,
The one she’ll kiss goodnight.

My sister just got married,
And the party’s in full sway.
She’s hand in hand with Grandma
Twisting the night away.

Sister pulls Gran closer
To make sure that she’s listening.
Then Grandma stops and shouts aloud
“We’re going to have a Christening.”

7. Elusive Sleep

By Cynthia C. Naspinski

Restful sleep has proved elusive.
Lack of it is not conducive
To my overall wellbeing,
As I stare up at the ceiling.

Niggling aches and pains compound
To stop my sleep from being sound.
I toss and turn from side to side,
But all positions have been tried.

I am by all accounts quite round,
But when it comes to sleep, I’ve found
I wish I were more octagon –
A full eight sides to rotate on.

To lie flat on my back does tempt,
Though soon I find I must pre-empt
The snores I’m told will wake the dead
By rolling on my side instead.

And finally, I find my groove,
Then curse because I have to move.
The electric blanket’s getting hot
And on this side the switch is not.

If comfyness arrives too late,
I’ll feel the urge to urinate.
And once that tickle is perceived,
It soon demands to be relieved.

I do my utmost to ignore,
But know I’ll have to go before
This little twinge of urgency
Becomes full blown emergency.

I hit the loo and park it there
With just a nanosec to spare.
Sit a while and contemplate
How so much could accumulate!

Back in bed, it starts again,
The quest to find my inner zen.
Must stop my thoughts from swirling round,
The ideal pozzy must be found.

At last my eyelids start to droop.
Don’t need to pee, don’t need to poop.
But then with dread I feel the heat
Rising upwards from my feet.

A damned hot flush is taking hold
And now I’m longing for the cold!
Sheet and quilt are tossed aside,
Must suffer through till it subsides.

Once again, I know I’ve failed.
Won’t wake bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
I’ll have no pep, I’ll have no zing.
Rise and shine is not my thing.

I can’t believe it’s come to this.
I’ve tried my hardest to resist.
In order to not feel like crap,
I must embrace the nanna nap!

8. Not Smart Enough for A Smart Phone

By Nandita Shailesh Shanbhag

My son gifted me a phone, said it was very smart.
He said it would ease my life, that it was a new start.

Connect to internet, search for all you want to know.
No need for TV; on it, watch your favorite show.

It’s time to throw out your ancient alarm clock.
You can shop for anything, from a ship to a sock.

You can find every address with the hi-tech map.
You can get rid of the wrinkles on your photo with an app.

You can pay your bills online with a single click.
You can order a meal, with just a finger-flick.

Now you can chat and tweet from your armchair.
Photos of your grandkids you can see and share.

You have the world at your fingertips now, said he,
But I struggle to make a simple call, Stupid Old Me!

I wanted to send a message to my oldest friend.
For dear, I typed dead and then pressed send.

I tried to watch a movie, but it made my eyes spin.
How to see those mini-figures on a tiny screen.

I tried to use the calculator; it took me an hour to find.
I could have added up the numbers faster in my mind.

Things get opened and switched on without my will.
I break into a sweat at the thought of my data bill.

Stop sending me “Good day texts” for goodness sake.
Those pings and rings give me a blasting headache.

So, for others, a smart phone may be trendy and hot.
For me, it’s useless; as it’s smart, but I am not.

9. The Workout

By Cynthia C. Naspinski

I need to lose weight, just a pound or twenty.
If I could lose fifty, well that would be plenty.
I could join a gym, but I don’t have the gumption.
My legging clad legs aren’t for public consumption.

My exercise bike is succumbing to rust
And only gets touched when I really must dust.
And much like a pet in need of attention,
It made me feel guilty (and slack not to mention).

The solution, of course, was such a no brainer.
I bought it a mate…an elliptical trainer!
This is quite easy! Or so I reckoned
When I tried it in store for a whole fifteen seconds.

But once it was home and I tried it for longer,
The pain in my side was all that got stronger.
I puffed and I gasped, till I couldn’t breathe.
Kicked off at nine, it was now nine oh three.

Of course! The resistance must be way too high
But no, it read zero; I thought I might cry.
The six on the dial sat silently mocking,
My level of fitness was really quite shocking.

Motivation was all that I saw myself losing,
And my self-esteem was taking a bruising.
I tried it to music but all that achieved
It drowned out the sound of my poor creaking knees.

This instrument of torture could go take a hike.
I glanced now with longing at my trusty bike.
I couldn’t recall why we had parted ways.
Climbed up on the seat and thought, Happy days!

I pedalled with gusto, but soon I remembered…
It felt like my buttocks were being dismembered.
The padding on my derrière is quite thick,
So why does it feel like I’m perched on a brick?

It was just all too hard; I gave up in disgust.
My plan to lose weight was clearly a bust.
Oh well…at least I can say that I tried it.
I mean, really, I can’t be expected to diet!

10. I Am Not Old

By Nandita Shailesh Shanbhag

My eyes are fine; they are just printing words small.
I just use a walking stick to seem stately and tall.

Nothing is wrong with my sense of smell.
My ears are fine if you don’t whisper but yell.

The wrinkles are just laugh lines; they will go away.
It is fashion that has turned my hair from black to grey.

It’s the cold, not age that is stiffening my knees.
I like to hum as I walk; it’s not a wheeze.

What extra kilos? My scale is broken down.
If I try, I can still fit into my wedding gown.

My bones don’t creak; my shoes are new.
My memory is sharp. Oh, do I know you?

11. Today I Was…

By David A. Berwick

Monday, I was angry with the sun.
It was always in my eyes – no fun.
Tuesday, I was angry with the rain.
Forgot my umbrella – what a pain.
Wednesday, I was angry with the wind.
It blew all the rubbish I had binned.
Thursday, I was angry with the cold
Hurting my bones now that I am old.
Friday, I was angry with the ice.
Slipped on my bum; it was not nice.
Saturday, I was angry with the snow.
Stopped me getting to where I wanted to go.
Sunday, I was angry that I stayed in.
Poor old weather, it cannot win.

12. A Geezer’s Gripings

By Rick W. Cotton

I’m getting older, nature deems.
I’m coming apart at the seams.
The things that never hurt before
Now multiply, make more and more.

My hair is thinning, or could it be
Just relocating here on me?
Down my back and out my ears
‘Tis true! Oh horrid, horrid years!

My teeth were once all mine, oh, yes!
And stayed in place, in permanence!
And now, like stars, they’re out at night
(And why do my pants fit oh so tight?)

My hawk-like vision has relented.
Glasses this has circumvented.
I can still see, more or less,
But down at the DMV…..I guess!

There are advantages, I’m told
To all us geezers getting old.
Like discount coffee, oh that’s great!
(If we can get out of bed by eight.)

But still we soldier bravely on
And moan and groan with each new dawn.
For it’s a good thing that we see
The grass from the side that still is green!

Emotional Poems about Life Struggles

Life may be complex and difficult at times. in such cases, turning to the knowledge of poetry might be beneficial. Here are some emotional poems about life struggles.

1. Weaving

by Florence May Alt

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me;
I may but choose the colors—
He worketh steadily.
Full oft he weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride,
Forget he sees the upper,
And I the under side!
I choose my strands all golden,
And watch for woven stars;
I murmur when the pattern
Is set in blurs and mars.
I cannot yet remember
Whose hands the shuttles guide;
And that my stars are shining
Upon the upper side.
I choose my thread all crimson,
And wait for flowers to bloom,
For warp and woof to blossom
Upon that mighty loom.
Full oft I seek them vainly,
And fret for them denied—
Though flowering wreaths and garlands,
May deck the upper side.
My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me;
I see the seams, the tangles—
The fair design sees He.
Then let me wait in patience
And blindness; satisfied
To make the pattern lovely
Upon the upper side.

2. Cares

by Charles Swain

Cares, Cares,—who is without them?

Troubles are plenty wherever we stray—

Pass round the glass and think nothing about them,

The more you make of them the longer they stay.

Tears, Tears,—who has not met them?

Sorrow’s the dew of life’s morning and night;

Pass round the goblet and try to forget them,

Speak of the bloom, but ne’er mention the blight.

Life—life,—who would desire it?

Who for its pleasures would suffer its pains?

Pass round the glass, for our spirits require it;

Hide with life’s roses the weight of life’s chains.

3. Hold on A While

by Amos Russel Wells

And when your fondest hopes are dead
And fate has ceased to smile.
‘Tis then it pays to lift your head
And—just—hold on a-while.
Hold on a While
When all the sky is very black
And all the earth is blue,
And all the fiends are on your track
And howling after you;
When courage falls and hope decays
And fair ambition dies,
And all your dreamland is ablaze
Beneath the ebon skies;
When you would fain renounce the goal,
Nor plod another mile,
Oh, straighten up your drooping soul,
And—just—hold on—a while!
Hold on a while! the darkest night
May bring the fairest day.
Hold on a while! the good, the right,
Will always find a way.
Hold on! for is Jehovah dead?
His love an empty song?
Hold on! have heaven’s armies fled
Before the hosts of wrong?
Hold on! for still some strength remains,
Nor yield you till you must;
A newer life may flood your veins;
Born of a larger trust.
A newer life—hold on for that!
A lily from the mud!
The greening peak of Ararat
Emerging from the flood!
The clouds are shattered by the sun;
The earth is all aglow;
Away the howling devils run,
And back to hell they go!
Hold on for that! Do what you can,
Nor prove a craven elf;
For heaven never helped a man
Until he helped himself.
And when your fondest hopes are dead
And fate has ceased to smile.
‘Tis then it pays to lift your head
And—just—hold on a-while.

4. Buttercups And Daisies

by Mary Howitt

He who gave them hardships
And a life of care,
Gave them likewise hardy strength
And patient hearts to bear.

Buttercups and daisies,
Oh, the pretty flowers;
Coming ere the spring time,
To tell of sunny hours,
While the trees are leafless,
While the fields are bare,
Buttercups and daisies
Spring up here and there.
Ere the snow-drop peepeth,
Ere the crocus bold,
Ere the early primrose
Opes its paly gold,—
Somewhere on the sunny bank
Buttercups are bright;
Somewhere midst the frozen grass
Peeps the daisy white.
Little hardy flowers,
Like to children poor,
Playing in their sturdy health
By their mother’s door.
Purple with the north-wind,
Yet alert and bold;
Fearing not, and caring not,
Though they be a-cold!
What to them is winter!
What are stormy showers!
Buttercups and daisies
Are these human flowers!
He who gave them hardships
And a life of care,
Gave them likewise hardy strength
And patient hearts to bear.

5. The Tempest

by James T. Fields

We were crowded in the cabin;
Not a soul would dare to sleep:
It was midnight on the waters,
And a storm was on the deep.
‘T is a fearful thing in winter
To be shattered by the blast,
And to hear the rattling trumpet
Thunder, “Cut away the mast!”
So we shuddered there in silence,
For the stoutest held his breath,
While the hungry sea was roaring,
And the breakers threatened death.
And as thus we sat in darkness,
Each one busy in his prayers,
“We are lost!” the captain shouted,
As he staggered down the stairs.
But his little daughter whispered,
As she took his icy hand,
“Is n’t God upon the ocean,
Just the same as on the land?”
Then we kissed the little maiden,
And we spoke in better cheer;
And we anchored safe in harbor
When the morn was shining clear.

6. Something Left Undone

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Labor with what zeal we will,
Something still remains undone,
Something uncompleted still
Waits the rising of the sun.
By the bedside, on the stair,
At the threshold, near the gates,
With its menace or its prayer,
Like a mendicant it waits;
Waits, and will not go away;
Waits, and will not be gainsaid;
By the cares of yesterday
Each to-day is heavier made;
Till at length the burden seems
Greater than our strength can bear,
Heavy as the weight of dreams,
Pressing on us everywhere.
And we stand from day to day,
Like the dwarfs of times gone by,
Who, as Northern legends say,
On their shoulders held the sky.

7. Keep A-Pluggin’ Away

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I’ve a humble little motto
That is homely, though it’s true, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
It’s a thing when I’ve an object
That I always try to do, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When you’ve rising storms to quell,
When opposing waters swell,
It will never fail to tell, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
If the hills are high before
And the paths are hard to climb,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
And remember that successes
Come to him who bides his time, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
From the greatest to the least,
None are from the rule released.
Be thou toiler, poet, priest,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Delve away beneath the surface,
There is treasure farther down, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Let the rain come down in torrents,
Let the threat’ning heavens frown,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When the clouds have rolled away,
There will come a brighter day
All your labor to repay, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
There ‘ll be lots of sneers to swallow.
There’ll be lots of pain to bear, —
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
If you’ve got your eye on heaven,
Some bright day you’ll wake up there,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Perseverance still is king;
Time its sure reward will bring;
Work and wait unwearying,—
Keep a-pluggin’ away.

8. Comparison

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

The sky of brightest gray seems dark
To one whose sky was ever white.
To one who never knew a spark,
Thro’ all his life, of love or light,
The grayest cloud seems over-bright.
The robin sounds a beggar’s note
Where one the nightingale has heard,
But he for whom no silver throat
Its liquid music ever stirred,
Deems robin still the sweetest bird.

9. Our Share of Night to Bear

by Emily Dickinson

Our share of night to bear,
Our share of morning,
Our blank in bliss to fill,
Our blank in scorning.

Here a star, and there a star,
Some lose their way.
Here a mist, and there a mist,
Afterwards — day!

10. Life’s Progress

By John Imrie

Down the mountains, down the hills,
Trickling on for ever;
Gentle springs make little rills,
Little rills the river.

Rivers rolling to the sea.
Lose themselves in ocean,
Bearing on their bosoms free
Noble ships in motion.

Such is life, a constant change,
Still from small to greater;
Let us learn the lesson strange
Taught by our Creator:

Life is giv’n for noble ends,
Lofty thoughts and actions,
Winning to our bosom — friends
Gain’d in life’s transactions.

Ah! soon we’ll reach life’s ocean strand,
Just like the mighty river,
Safe in the hollow of that Hand
Which holds the seas for ever.

11. Not They Who Soar

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Not they who soar, but they who plod
Their rugged way, unhelped, to God
Are heroes; they who higher fare,
And, flying, fan the upper air,
Miss all the toil that hugs the sod.
‘Tis they whose backs have felt the rod,
Whose feet have pressed the path unshod,
May smile upon defeated care,
Not they who soar.
High up there are no thorns to prod,
Nor boulders lurking ‘neath the clod
To turn the keenness of the share,
For flight is ever free and rare;
But heroes they the soil who’ve trod,
Not they who soar!

Poems about Life Struggles and Success

Always remember that there are blessings in difficulties; they make you stronger and provide you with an opportunity to learn and succeed. Don’t give up, don’t be defeated by a battle! Here are some poems about life struggles and success.

1. Compensation

by Sara Teasdale

I should be glad of loneliness
And hours that go on broken wings,
A thirsty body, a tired heart
And the unchanging ache of things,
If I could make a single song
As lovely and as full of light,
As hushed and brief as a falling star
On a winter night.

2. How Did You Die?

by Edmund Vance Cooke

Did you tackle that trouble that came your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, a trouble’s a ton, or a trouble’s an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it,
And it isn’t the fact that you’re hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it?
You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what’s that!
Come up with a smiling face.
It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there—that’s disgrace.
The harder you’re thrown, why the higher you bounce
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn’t the fact that you’re licked that counts;
It’s how did you fight and why?
And though you be done to the death, what then?
If you battled the best you could,
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the Critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,
And whether he’s slow or spry,
It isn’t the fact that you’re dead that counts,
But only, how did you die?

3. John Curzon’s Watch

by Amos Russel Wells

Have you heard of John Curzon, of Poland?
A wonderful artisan, he!
A watchmaker equalled in no land,
As you, I am sure, will agree.
For the Czar of the Russias, to try him,
Commanded a watch for his fob,
And bade that his envoy supply him
With all he might use in the job.
So the messenger brought some wood chippings,
Some glass that was smashed in a fall,
Copper nails and some bits of wire clippings,
And a cracked china cup; that was all!
John Curzon, this rubbish receiving,
Contrived, with no other to aid,—
it is true, though it seems past believing,—
A watch that was perfectly made!
The case—it was formed of the china.
The works were patched up from the rest.
it was worthy a rez or rigina;
And Curzon had won in the test!
So, my lad, with no money and no land,
And Fate as severe as the Czar,
Just think you are Curzon of Poland,
And conquer—from things as they are!

4. Purpose

by Amos Russel Wells

Deeply and long the sap must flow
Ere the merest layer of elm can grow.
Many a wave’s recurrent shock
Is needed to smooth the tiniest rock.
Thousands of leaves must fade and fall
To make the mold by the garden wall.
Thus, as the patient seasons roll,
Slowly is fashioned a human soul.
Purpose and failure and purpose still,
Steadily moved by a quiet will,—
Layer on layer in sturdy way,
Hardly seen the growth of a day,—
Times of failure and fear and fall,
But one strong tendency through it all,—
God and purpose and sun by sun
Reach the stars before they are done!

5. The Frozen Dove

by Hannah Flagg Gould

Away, from the path, silly dove,
Where the foot, that may carelessly tread,
Will crush thee!—what! wilt thou not move?
Alas! thou art stiffened and dead!
Allured by the brightness of day,
To sink ‘mid the shadows of night,
Too far from the cote didst thou stray,
And sadly has ended thy flight!
For here, with the snow at thy breast,
With thy wings folded close to thy side,
And crouched in the semblance of rest,
Alone, of the cold thou hast died!
Poor bird! thou hast pictured the fate
Of many in life’s changeful day,
Who, trusting, have found but too late
What smiles may be lit to betray.
How oft for illusions that shine
In a cold and a pitiless world,
Benighted and palsied like thine,
Has the wing of the spirit been furled!
And hearts the most tender and light,
In their warmth, to the earth have been thrown,
‘Mid the chills of adversity’s night,
To suffer and perish alone!

Poems about Life Struggles That Rhyme

These struggles in life poems show individuals that they are not alone in their trials and that it is possible to overcome them.

1. The Ugly and The Beauty in Real Life

By Jose Cruz

Betrayal
Love
Loyalty
Respect

These all part of real life.
All part of everyday life.
Part of the life we live.
Part of life that shall never change.

Real life is no game.
Real life is dangerous.
Real life brings pain.
Real life brings fear.

Real life isn’t easy.
Real life is the world and the world is real life.
Real life is full of sorrow and hate,
For real life brings joy and happiness.

It also brings betrayal and death.
Real life is precious and won’t last forever.
So enjoy real life as long as you can,
Before it’s gone and never comes back.

2. What Are Secrets?

By Rishabh

Secrets are things we hide,
Things we hide from other people’s sight.
They are things we don’t want anyone to know,
Whether it be a friend or foe.
Secrets have their own importance,
They have their own risks.
Secrets are like a weight on man’s shoulder,
A weight even heavier than a boulder,
Which slows down his pace,
And shows him a new phase,
A new phase of life,
A life full of strife.

3. Memories

By Jane Kim

Memories in my life fade away
As I replace them with others.
They are forgotten and stored away.
Although the memories are pushed to the side,
They are safe so I may remember them in the future.
Our mind is like a book;
It writes down important things and keeps them between the pages forever.
Maybe our whole album of memories:
Our first steps, first love, first grief, and others
Were meant to be there for us to never forget.

4. I Wish I Knew Who I Am

By Vincent Profaci

You tell me you love me
I tell you the same
I don’t know who I am
It’s a shame, it’s insane

I want to love me and you
like I love my own son
Inside I feel dead
and I’m totally numb

I prick my finger
from a rose with a thorn
A reminder that our children
are of the purest form

A mirror reflection of body we are
The more I look, the more that I scar
The more that I scar, the better I feel
In this crazy world that seems oh so unreal

The whole world is my stage
it helps cover my fear
For we are all merely actors
according to Shakespeare

When I speak of the truth it feels like a noose
That’s slowly stretching my neck
And then when I lie the noose opens wide
And postpones the decent to my death

I feel so amused or maybe confused
Of the thoughts that run through my head
It’s just so unfair with these thoughts I compare
My whole life I just can’t stay ahead

Is it me, is it you?
Is it life, is it truth?
Is it destiny or time?
Is it yours, is it mine?

I don’t know, but I hope it comes soon
Because it Hurst

5. The Maze

By Amelia Tracey

Life is like a maze.
You don’t know where you’ll end up,
But that’s the way life is played.

Life is like a maze.
One way you’ll be free,
The other you will pay.

One way is right, another wrong.
There is now, and there is gone.
You will feel, you will see
The challenge life is meant to be.

6. You’re Not Alone in This

By Lauren Bowman

You’re not alone in this; you know that, right?
There are others like you.
Hiding. Running. Wishing
for a desire they keep hidden
(but terrified of it coming true)
Swaying. Hoping. Begging
for change.
(but terrified of something new)
Hesitant but leaping.
Whole but looking for what they’ve lost.
Wanting the world to see them
but unsure of who they are.

7. Give Yourself the Gift of Silence

By M.B.Victoria

Take the time you need
to crawl in a space
of silence.

You don’t owe anyone
any story, or
any explanation.

You owe it to
yourself to work on
your healing.

8. The Six Feet Below

By Andrew

You can find her there in her vegetable garden every spring trying to pull the weeds out of her soul. Picking and Preening she carries on till the sun is setting low. Cooking and cleaning, cleaning and cooking the life out of her fragile bones.

She holds the answers to all of the questions, six feet under is where they will go. Like a shark not wanting to stop, for it would surely meet a dead end, she sweeps her guilt out the door, and the wind blows it back in again.

What weight does she carry if any at all? Is there any room left in her to grow? If only gardens could speak for the voice of the weak, then the fog of the past could go. No more would I weep for the questions I seek would not travel the six feet below.

9. If Perhaps…

By Saphire

I sit here holding deep inside
Feelings that others wish to hide
Confide in me, the troubles go
But in me they grow and grow.
I know I said I could handle it
But I wonder as I think about it.
My heart screams for sweet release
All it want is the promise of peace
The promise I freely give to others
Can I promise myself above others?
I’ll let my promise out to you
If you will hold me as I would you.
I’ll trust you if you will me
God please, protect me.
Hold me and never let me go
But if you do, I want you to know.
I never meant to go away
My heart released its own way
Perhaps through fear it decided to go.
But if that’s it, I did not know.
Sometimes it acts without me
But if so, now I am free.

10. Concealment

By Victoria

So much anger is wrapped around my heart,
Compressing my blood to stop it from flowing delicately,
Tears drizzle down my bone cheeks as I bite my soft lips to avoid screaming.
My heart is pierce, sharp hater and jealousy,
I loosely open to those I thought I love.
I couldn’t feel sorrow and despair,
I lay in the earth soil.
My tears fill a pond beside my tomb, I shut my eyes to seal the hole,
Nothing shelters me, but the tall grass concealing the land.
No one to see or feel the presence of my absence,
I blindly lose sight of where I am, deeply buried within nature’s ground.
I hear cheers above my head,
Laughter of play,
Yet, I peacefully don’t move or stir.
Is anyone there?
I shall not know,
So I gracefully shut my eyes, my heart feels a heavy burden.
What anguish?
I did not know such a merry place.

11. Time

By Andres G. Rendon

Has always been there.
It was the beginning,
And it’s going to be the end.
It is forever changing, never the same as it was before.
It was a minute here,
A century there.
It saw the creation of everything,
And it will see the destruction of all.
It is a universal and eternal entity.
We regret when we waste it.
We wish we had more when we run out.
However, when we do have it, we don’t use it wisely.
We waste it, believing that we’ll have it forever.
We don’t realize that it’ll eventually leave us,
Continuing long after we’re gone.
It is neither a friend nor an enemy.

12. My World

By Xavier Mentor

Heaven is where I wish to be,
But hell is where I remain.
Peace is what I seek,
But war infects my world.
Light is what I wish to see,
But darkness trapped me in the blindness of the night.
Joy is what I wish to experience,
But toil is what I endure.
Love is what I wish to feel,
But lust had my eyes fooled.
Freedom is what I dream of,
But addiction has me locked down.
Equality is what I hope for,
But men discriminate me from every angle.
Perfection is what I aim for,
But my vices retain my potential.
Maybe one day my wishes will become my reality,
But until then this inferno remains my world.

13. Childhood

By Aniket Jangam

Going back to the time, doing all that I want,
Just living up my life, getting all that I can’t!

Great was the childhood, innocent were the smiles.
Walking through the woods was better than today’s long drive of miles!

Getting nostalgic at the sight of old places,
Feeling the magic of love, affection and kisses.

Wish I could be selfless and joyous once again
And forget the mess that ends up only in pain!

14. A Rhapsody of Empowerment

By Vaishali Vishnukandan

Come on, women!
Must rise to the challenges
Of your enhanced responsibilities.

Yes!

We are already stronger.
Never feel blue.
Break the myth.
No force can barricade a determined woman.

Come out of your cage.
Bear the pain
Like you do the stilettos.

Wear your elegance every day.
Start rummaging for your upliftment.
Miles to reach acme.

Heads up, women!

Don’t fear the fire.
Be the fire!

15. I’m Lost

By Rebecca

I feel like I’m dying
looking all around me
all I see is destruction and death.
I want to die,
I get a knife
I put it to my skin
all I want to do is see I can feel.
I look up and…
your there.
I see if I can tell what your thinking,
all I can see is concern and sadness.
I put down the knife, and run into your arms to cry.
I say “I’m lost,” that’s all I can say.
You say, “Your safe now. I can help you. All you have to do is ask.”
I don’t know what to do, I’m scared and hurt but I can feel your love.”
What Do I Do?

16. The Journey of Life

By Gerry Mattia

I was the sunshine that cradled your day
that tried to push the clouds away
I was the sand that ran between your toes
when you were four years old
that soon became the rain you danced in
from seven to eleven
And I watched you grow in the glow
of a moon that beamed
when you turned thirteen
How unfair you thought I’d become
when you turned twenty-one
because you lost a few dreams
But I stayed awake when you were out late
I was the stars ’till you turned twenty-eight
And when you found your love
“the one”
I was glimmer in the eye, the blue sky, the sun
Then you turned thirty-one
I became cloud, thunder and shower
there weren’t enough minutes to put in your hour
You forgot how to dance in the rain
’till you turned forty all you did was complain
Then you took off your shoes
and went back to the sand
I was now the warmth of your child’s hand
At forty-three
you spent more time with me
You began
to understand
And when you stood fifty years old
you stayed warm to me even though
at times I was cold
How close we grew
when you turned sixty-two
The breeze was I
that hung your grandchild’s kite in the sky
And I’m sorry I made you sad
when I took “the one” away
But I was proud
when you pushed aside that cloud
and cradled ‘me’ in the sun
for the remainder of our day